Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Fadi Hosn — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:16:06 GMT

Nice article written by the best horseman I ever met.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Funnydecide — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:52:40 GMT

Mark, thanks for bringing out the best of the best! I'm an owner in the racing industry and almost to the point of giving up. Hal Wiggin's comment of "we do a bad job as a sport recognizing our owners." That statement give me hope that there is trainers out there that truly watch out for the small guy in the industry and I see alot of honesty in Hal Wiggins just by his comment. Owners do everything to support the industry and we are constantly by-passed. Thanks again Mark, your article was very well written and thanks to Hal Wiggins, only wished I knew him.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

DT — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:50:16 GMT

Nicely written, my brother!

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Soldier Course — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:09:43 GMT

mtb jr.:

Richard Mandella is one of the nicest people in the sport of horse racing. He showed a great kindness to me a few years back, and I am simply a fan he'd never met.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

John T — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:00:34 GMT

When Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks the way she did it showed what a good job Hal Wiggins

had done bringing her up to that race.I can,t even imagine the pain

and the heartache it must be for a trainer to lose a horse like that.The same thing happened to Helen Pitts when Jess Jackson bought Curlin and transferred that horse also to Steve Asmussen.What a great joy it was to see Pitts have some level of compensation this year with Einstein.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Ida Lee — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:18:37 GMT

All the best to Mr. Wiggins in his retirement. And yes I give him the credit for training and conditioning Rachel. He made her a super athlete. But, I think we can agree that her new connections sent her out a whole new door. It was Jackson and Asmussen that put her into the national TV spotlight by putting her into the Preakness where she was exposed to non-horse people. It was this race that got her into Vogue for goodness sake. If her new connections had her from the beginning, I believe they would have entered her into the Derby and she would have gone on to win the Triple Crown. I have no doubt since she is the best 3-year old in the country. This is not taking anything away from Mr. Wiggins. He was incredibly gracious when she was taken away from him. And I will be forever grateful to him for training this Goddess of Racing to be the Champion she is today.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Mike H — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:43:09 GMT

Very good article. Hal we miss you and Renee in LOUISVILLE enjoy your retirement. (by the way we have a new football coach)

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Fire Slam — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:59:48 GMT

Richard Mandella is has always been super nice. My father use to handle business for Harry Trotsek.

When I met Richard Mandella, and we began talking about old time trainers, he was very sincere, and very humble.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Mike Relva — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:12:48 GMT

MTB-JR

I totally regarding Mr.Wiggins. He's a great guy! But,you are WAY OFF w/your comments regarding Mr. Mandella. He's a class act and first rate trainer. What planet are you from?

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

GreyK — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:04:11 GMT

I believe Hal Wiggins, gentleman that he is, told an interviewer he was happy that the money from selling Rachel Alexandra made it possible for him to retire and enjoy his grandchildren. Boy oh boy, that Jess Jackson sure is a big old evil meanie for giving this good man a chance to retire at the top of his game and in good health. LOL

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Charles Dattalo — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:42:08 GMT

This is a great article on a truly good guy. I have known Hal since childhood. His family is like a second family to me and I can say byond a shadow of a doubt what you have written about him is the same way those of that have known him for years feel. You will never meet a nicer guy or for that matter a nicer family, including his lovely wife.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Barbara — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:49:58 GMT

Speak for yourself, FireSlam. I don't have millions and I would never sell a horse like Rachel outright after her Oaks win. Yes I am old enough to be sure of that statement. Anyone can end up with millions, very few if any end up with a horse like Rachel.

As for keeping her with Wiggins, I think he might have been one of the best representatives of this sport ever if given the chance to show more of that Oaks week grace with her this summer...

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

mtb-jr — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:50:56 GMT

Has anyone seen the hour-long interview on HRTV with Hal Wiggins? What a nice, sincere, down-to-earth guy! Then, contrast it with the Richard Mandella hour they show right it. Short-answers. Abrupt. Confrontational.....Arrogant. The difference between a true horseman/gentleman and a "trainer to the stars".

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

anna — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:43:09 GMT

i look at it this way. what if they never sold rachel alexandra and had ran her in the acorn stakes as had been planned because then she wouldn't never had a chance to do what she was capeable of doing. hindsight is 20/20. besides her former owners they still own her dam and they could've stayed in for 50% but they didn't. that they was the ones who lost the most.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Dixiebandfan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:37:57 GMT

The previous owner and trainer were opposed to running her in the Preakness. In 20/20 hindsight, it was a good thing for the sport that Jess Jackson bought the horse and gave it to Steve Asmussen to take to the races. It would have been a brilliant showdown to have seen her take on Zenyatta, but that will never happen, it seems. Barry Irwin and PomDe Terre are both spot on. Wiggins did a great job.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

da3hoss — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:41:37 GMT

Mr. Wiggins did a great job with her while he had her...such a great job that she handled the barn and trainer change and still won the Preakness a mere two weeks later!

He's right about owners, too...she had a very good owner, and she ended up with a very good owner who took her to a new level..both very good for this very wonderful filly.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Karen in Indiana — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:19:18 GMT

Fire Slam, I would have taken the money, but I also would have cared enough about the horse to put in the contract that she stays with her trainer, at least until the end of the year. That would have lessened the stress for her. Yes, she won a lot of very good, historic races this year. But she has also had to deal with a lot of change, some of which didn't have to happen. Owners put sale conditions in contracts all the time, it would not have been hard for them to do.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Cgrif — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:13:28 GMT

Great column - fantastic and most deserving subject.

Mr. Wiggins all class - head to toe - and he'd not approve of bloggers taking hits at the new connections for Rachel just because they committed the apparently cardinal sin of purchasing her for a whopping load of money.

I remember full well Asmussen giving more than one sound bite offering full credit for Rachel's Preakness win and her overall great physical and mental attitude to Wiggins' careful care.

I felt bad when she was taken away from Hal, as well. I wish Jackson would have kept him on - but Asmussen is Jackson's trainer of record - so it wasn't a huge surprise when he didn't.

And don't forget- the very hefty commission from her sale allowed Hal to retire at a level of security and comfort he might not have had otherwise. And he's earned the right to relax a bit and enjoy the game as a part timer rather than living 24/7 at the bar.

So let's just honor the class and professionalism Hal Wiggins exhibits by being thrilled for his grand career, bright future and that one brightest moment when he trained a real superstar in racing.

Thanks for the memories, Hal!

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Sally in Indy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:37:05 GMT

I was fortunate to meet Rachel's original connections, including Mr. Wiggins, during an autograph session at Churchill in June. What a gracious, unassuming gentleman! - among the best the sport has to offer. The Horseman of the Year Award was well deserved. Best wishes always, Mr. Wiggins!

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Junie Wise-Rocky Road Farm — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:35:17 GMT

I never could understand why the NEW Owner of a Horse after purchase has to change trainers???...Especially in this case???....I guess they just want to go with a "NAME"

That is one reason I pull against "HER" now!!!!

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Daunice — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:51:25 GMT

In the time leading up to the Oaks, I enjoyed reading & hearing interviews of Mr. Wiggens and was at Churchill Downs for Rachel’s final work prior to the Oaks.

I was sadden when she was taken away from the Wiggins barn and sent a letter to him.

Mr. Wiggins took the time to send a note and photos of Rachel Alexandra.

What a great and classy guy. Best Wishes to Mr. Wiggins and his family.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

Heidie Jo — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:13:22 GMT

Good Job Mark. Very Good Job! Thanks for writing such a wonderful message.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

lobieb — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:46:57 GMT

So much is said about "the big trainers" who get all the big named horses but in all the time I have been a racing fan I have come to realize that it is not a vast stable that can care and train a horse as can a good trainer, "the little guy" who has hands on day to day contact with his small band of horses. I for one if I could afford a race horse would opt for hands on from a small barn who could give my horse the attention he or she needed. They are the heart and soul of racing not the big guns who don't even know who or what they have in their many barns. Hal, live a full life with your wife and grandchildren but I am sure that we will hear of you in some capacity with racing in the future.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

The Arkansas Fat Man — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:08:47 GMT

Hal Wiggins, notice that it's always Hal, hardly ever Mr. Wiggins, unless of course your first name is Lon, the doll house bomber.

Markie T certainly has Hal pegged as one of the good guys. I'll miss Hal at Oaklawn and wish him the best for his duration of his time on earth.

re: Nice Guy Finishes First - By Mark Toothaker

PomDeTerre — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:08:58 GMT

couldn't agree with you both more. ANY credit due this filly goes to Mr. Wiggins, same as Helen Pitts deserves the credit for training Curlin.